The HERP Project, Herpetology Education in Rural Places ...

The HERP Project, Herpetology Education in Rural Places and Spaces

In Awe of Nature: Looking at Lizards

Written by Catherine Matthews and Lacey Huffling

The Herp Project is supported by the National Science Foundation, Grant No. DRL-1114558. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Looking at Lizards

Before starting a project similar to the one described in this curriculum, contact your state wildlife resources commission or state division of fish and game to see what kinds of permits you need to work with animals such as wild-caught lizards and what kinds of permits you may need to handle lizards.

I. Project Description

This curriculum focuses on a lizard project that we conducted with high school participants and teachers as a part of The HERP (Herpetology Education in Rural Places and Spaces) Project's Herpetological Research Experience (HRE). HREs are residential summer programs that provide opportunities for high school students and teachers to participate in studies of frogs, turtles, snakes, lizards, and salamanders. This curriculum provides ideas for conducting an educational program on lizards. We provide information about lizards, describe how we conduct mark/recapture studies of anoles, and explain how we catch anoles and other lizard species that live in the North Carolina Piedmont and the North Carolina Inner Coastal Plain. Sampling methods and techniques, data collection, and reporting procedures are also described.

II. Philosophical Teaching Points

Lizards are the largest group of living reptiles and come in many sizes, shapes, patterns, and colors. There are 155 species of lizards in North America. Lizards are ideal model organisms for study because they are found in many habitats (forests, deserts, marshes, and prairies). Lizards live in all but a few states, making lizards perfect organisms for scientific investigations. While lizards are numerous and we know a great deal about the ecologies of lizards in North American deserts, we do not know as much about their ecologies in other regions of the continent. Lizards act as both predators and prey in food chains, and different species of lizards may compete for the same habitat in an ecosystem. Lizards also act as pollinators and seed dispersers. Lizards are generally diurnal, courtship is brief, and fertilization is internal. Most lizards are egg layers, but occasionally young are born alive. All North Carolina native lizards are egg layers (oviparous). Many lizards are insectivorous and play important roles in food webs, helping to control insect populations.

Lizards are common and widespread in North America, and therefore are excellent

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organisms to track as our climate changes. Because we do not know much about their ecology outside their North American desert habitats, our observations can be useful to understanding their behaviors and life histories. As the presence and or abundance of specific lizard species change, lizards may become harbingers of future environmental degradation. In North Carolina, one threat to native lizards is invasive species of lizards. Invasive species may have no natural predators, they may destroy habitat, and they exploit the resources of the native species.

III. Learning Objectives for The Lizard Project

After completing this project, participants will be able to: 1. Engage in inquiry investigations that demonstrate an understanding of the nature of science 2. Demonstrate techniques to safely catch, handle, house, and release lizards 3. Demonstrate appropriate use of equipment (lizard lassoes) and measurement tools (scales to

determine mass and calipers to determine total length [TL] and snout-vent length [SVL]) 4. Explain the trapping methods that are used in this project 5. Describe threats that lizards face in general (e.g. loss of habitat) and locally (e.g. competition

with invasive species) 6. List the characteristics of lizards 7. Use a field guide to identify local species of lizards 8. Compare and contrast the biology and ecology of two lizard species that occupy the same

habitat 9. Explain that lizards can be found in nearly every state, are a critical creature in food webs, and

serve, like all animals, an important role in ecosystems where they are abundant 10. Demonstrate an understanding of how to study lizard populations and population structure by

using temporary mark/recapture methods

IV. Instructor Background Needed to Conduct Project

The willingness to learn is the most important quality of a Lizard Project Leader. Previous experiences in biology fieldwork are very helpful but not mandatory as long as someone involved with the project is comfortable in the out-of-doors, especially in overgrown natural areas. It is however important for the instructor to do some preparation before starting a lizard investigation with participants. Observing lizards at the study site beforehand will provide information about

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the organisms present. Different capture methods are used for different kinds of lizards; practicing catching lizards at the study site is important so techniques can be properly demonstrated to participants.

Remember, as this curriculum is an inquiry investigation, elicit as much information as possible from participants about the main points rather than telling them information before they have a chance to think about what they are experiencing. Add information to the conversation after participants have had a chance to think and share information. It is important to try to understand participants' thinking in order to help correct any misconceptions. It is also important to discuss what is unknown, and to think about how the group could find answers.

Lizard Project Leaders make connections with HRE participants by asking questions such as :

Does anyone have a pet lizard? (If participants do, the leaders can ask them to share about their pet lizard)

Has anyone ever caught lizards before? (If participants have, the leaders can ask them to share their experiences) Using Pet Lizards (typically non-native species) to Learn Lizard Anatomy

A live animal is beneficial for engaging students in this project, but realistic models or even lizard cards can be used to teach content. To teach students the basic anatomy of lizards, as well as proper handling methods, our Lizard Project Leaders use a bearded dragon, a large non-native pet lizard. As the leaders introduce the bearded dragon, they ask the students questions. Students' comments and questions can be used to teach general information about lizards. Examples of leading questions include:

What do you notice? Is this the same or different than salamanders you have seen? Does anyone know what it is? Asking leading questions allows the discussion to be based on the questions the HRE participants ask and the comments they make.

Examples of student questions about the Bearded Dragon include (answers are in italics): Where are these found? (Bearded Dragons are found in the wild in Australia) Are they more aggressive in the wild? (Yes, adult bearded dragons are territorial and

establish social hierarchies in which aggressive displays are a normal part of their social interactions. The beard is used for both mating and aggression displays.) Are they territorial? (Yes, males have a 2-3 meter territory.)

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 What does it eat? (It eats a 70% vegetarian/30% animal [crickets, mealworms, and other small invertebrates] diet.)

Is that an eardrum? (These are external ear holes. This is one way you know it is a lizard. If we see a legless `snake' with ear holes, we know it is really a lizard, even if someone calls it a "glass snake.")

After several student questions, the leaders guide the participants with more direct

questions. The overall goal is for participants to understand the differences between reptiles and

amphibians and the differences between snakes and lizards. Examples of the guided questions

Figure XX. The photo on the left is a smooth earth snake; notice there is no ear hole. The photo on the right is an Eastern glass lizard, also called a glass snake. Notice the ear hole, above the black arrow. Photo on left from . Photo on right from

include (answers are in italics):

What do we call this rough looking skin? (Scales. All reptiles have scales. Salamanders do not have scales.)

Do animals have lips? (On reptiles, like snakes and lizards, we call them labial scales.)

What do you notice about its feet? (Lizards have claws, unlike salamanders, which do not have claws on their toes).

What do you notice about its eyes? (Its eyes are to the side so it doesn't see straight in front.)

It is important to know this information

because these are the distinguishing features of lizards. Knowing the characteristics of lizards helps students learn more about animals that

This is a photo of a Broad-head skink. The skink lost its tail at some point prior to capture.

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